Advanced Saudi-Houthi negotiations in the Sultanate of Oman. Long truce bill for war from the resources of the South

Alyoum8th- newspaper learned from Omani diplomatic sources about the imminence of reaching a political settlement on the negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Iranian proxies in Sana'a, following the resumption of negotiations in the Omani capital, days after Saudi Arabia provided financial support to the Central Bank in Sana'a, amounting to one billion US dollars.

An Omani diplomatic source told (Alyoum8th): "The pro-Iranian Houthis retracted a condition they had put on the negotiating table under the auspices of the Sultanate of Oman, represented in the payment of salaries to employees in northern Yemen from the resources of the south by 82%, delivered to the Central Bank in Sana'a, where the Iranian arms retracted their condition and accepted a Saudi proposal that salaries be paid to employees and militants of the Yemeni group, signed by the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council formed by Saudi Arabia, "Rashad Al-Alimi", who "He will be tasked with signing the Houthi paycheck on a monthly basis, following the signing of the agreement and the resumption of oil exports from Shabwa and Hadramawt."

In the first of August, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the provision of one billion and two hundred million dollars as a grant to Yemen, the Kingdom's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jabber, said that 70% of the value of the support will go to areas under the control of the Houthis, which was interpreted as part of an Omani initiative for calm, following the Houthis' threats to resume the war again.

The central bank in Aden said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia had deposited 1 billion Saudi riyals (about $266.563 million) in its accounts as a first batch of economic support announced by the kingdom two days ago of $1.2 billion; while it was not known how much Saudi Arabia deposited in the Houthi-controlled central bank in Sanaa, but it is likely that the 70 percent of Saudi support will go to Iranian proxies in Sanaa, with support for increased commercial activities in the port of Hodeida and opening the way for imports. Agricultural vehicles and plots, which contributes to the revival of the economy in the Houthi areas.

An informed Yemeni source told Alyoum8th newspaper that Saudi Arabia promised the Houthis to provide great facilities related to the port of Hodeida, which is expected to be the main port, which may disrupt commercial movement in the port of Aden, which Saudi Arabia believes is completely under the control of the Southern Transitional Council.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that the new economic support for Yemen aims to cover the budget deficit, support salaries, wages and operating expenses of government institutions and service bodies and ensure food security.

In April, Saudi and Omani officials held peace talks with the Houthis as Riyadh seeks a permanent ceasefire to end its military involvement in the long-running war.

Despite the confirmation of the resumption of negotiations between the Iranian and Saudi arms under the auspices of the Sultanate of Oman, but Riyadh fears the collapse of its agreement with Tehran and informs the sponsor of the agreement (Beijing), which may mean the return of war again, especially with the emergence of a new dispute over the Durra field shared between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on one side and Iran on the other.

Omani diplomatic sources said that the Saudi and Yemeni delegations (meaning the Houthis) have made great strides in important rapprochements on a long-term truce, coupled with a comprehensive ceasefire and preparing the ground for Yemeni-political talks.

The source confirmed that the Yemeni-Houthi delegation agreed to resume oil exports, in exchange for the Presidential Leadership Council, on whose behalf Saudi Arabia has committed, to supervise the payment of salaries according to statements provided by the Houthis to the Saudi side.

Regarding the Presidential Leadership Council's knowledge of the negotiations between the Saudis and the Houthis, a source close to Rashad al-Elaimy confirmed that the latter is always informed, without other members of the Presidential Council, on the progress of those negotiations, according to what the Saudis are informed of the results first-hand.

The source told Alyoum8th newspaper that the Muscat negotiations will come out with an agreement to establish something like a cell or a joint room in which three parties participate (the Saudis, the Houthis and another from the Rashad Al-Alimi Council), this cell or joint room will work to form a military committee that includes Houthi military leaders and another from the National Army in Marib, to work to stabilize the ceasefire for a long time under the supervision of the United Nations.

Sources in the Aden-based Ministry of Defense denied knowledge of these proposals, but Omani sources confirmed the initial agreement on a military committee that would oversee the ceasefire and be in constant contact with the Omani mediator, the United Nations and the US representative to Yemen.

The Iranian proxies in Sanaa had announced talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, mediated by Oman, after a stalemate that lasted for weeks, where Houthi leader Ali al-Qahum praised the role of the Sultanate of Oman, saying that the Sultanate of Oman is making great efforts to resolve the stalled files between the parties.

The Balqees channel of the Yemeni Brotherhood said that the Houthi group has intensified its escalatory statements against Saudi Arabia, throughout the past period, sometimes threatening to stop the negotiations, and at other times threatening to return to the military option, noting that the return of Saudi-Houthi negotiations confirms the existence of a deal, which prompted the continuation of negotiations again, in reference to the recent Saudi support.

The channel quoted Brotherhood politician Abdul Baqi Shamsan as saying, "The continuation or severance of negotiations has nothing to do with the agenda at hand, but we are in front of gaining more time, in the sense that there are common goals for the coalition countries, while the Houthi militia is linked to the dialogue between Riyadh and Tehran."

"The more the negotiation process with Saudi Arabia or with the international community stops, the more the Houthi militia renews itself as one of the parties to the conflict, and that it seeks peace, and then goes on a journey to gain more time, which could stop at any moment," Shamsan, who lives in Turkey, told Balqees TV.

He added: "Buying time is very important for the militia, as it is linked to making it a rooted actor who runs the institution and part of Yemeni society, in addition to reshaping the national memory by creating a new generation with new and different perceptions of the homeland, governance, life and death."

Shamsan, who is close to Muslim Brotherhood activist Tawakkol Karman, attacked the Presidential Leadership Council, accusing Saudi Arabia of colluding with Iran against Yemen, saying, "There is a kind of exchange of roles in what is happening between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the issue of gaining more time, especially since the longer the Houthi militia lasts, the so-called legitimate authority has ended, which has already ended, after it no longer represents the Yemeni people, but rather represents the region."

He considered that "all this extension and prolongation and entering into dialogue is in the interest of the Houthi militia, which contributes to establishing its legitimacy as one of the parties to the conflict, and not as a coup group, so that there is only a group of parties in the Yemeni arena as actors other than the state, and other actors, and thus the equation and references will change."

He believes that "it is in the interest of Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia that the legitimate authority remains without resources, as it is thus the weakest party, while the Houthi militia has resources, and in return it is also captive to the Saudi decision.

Shamsan attacked Riyadh, which he said was repeating what it did with the royalists in Yemen, saying, "It is necessary to return to the Jeddah Agreement, and what Saudi Arabia did by returning the royalists to the Yemeni interior, and now it is negotiating on our behalf, and bringing back the new royalists, who carried out the counter-revolution on March 21, - a counter-revolution to the September 26 revolution -, to the interior."

Brigadier General Mohammed al-Kamim, a military expert close to the Saudis, questioned the statement of Houthi leader Ali al-Qahum regarding the resumption of negotiations between the Houthi militia and Saudi Arabia.

He explained: "There are no negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia, at this stage, based on the statements of the Houthi leader, Mahdi Al-Mashat, recently, in which he said that the negotiations stopped completely on the salary file, and that they no longer exist."

"We cannot overlook that Saudi Arabia stopped appointing the Saudi ambassador to Iran, and said that the time has not yet come, and it will be timely."

"Negotiations with the Houthi militia are not easy, and Saudi Arabia has experiences with this militia, including in Jeddah and Dhahran al-Janoub, and many negotiations that were taking place in secret and in public," he said.

"Saudi Arabia is not that naïve as to save the Houthi militia, as the militia is suffering greatly in Sanaa, after the voices demanding salaries even from leaders affiliated with it have risen," he said.

The Yemeni officer residing in Riyadh defended Saudi Arabia, which Shamsan accused of colluding with Iran against Yemen, saying, "We cannot overlook that there are real Houthi threats to strike Saudi islands and oil facilities, but Saudi Arabia is not that stupid and naïve, Saudi Arabia cannot allow the militia to be saved in this situation, as it knows that the militia has not adhered to any agreements for many years, and is also aware of the Houthi threat."